Paradigm
by Sayo124
Summary: Because Akira feels as though he deserves a chance, at the very least.  love triangles abound!
1. I: Akira

**Shit. This wasn't planned, I swear. I was going to spend the day working on **_**updating**_** my current stories and not dawdling around writing new ones…**

Paradigm

_-x-x-x-_

He curled up on her bed, wrapping his arms around his legs protectively as he watched her. She was completely oblivious of the extra attention—she was all thumbs as she texted in the next update to her story.

_Yukina._ Her name in his mind was beautiful, but it was nothing compared to saying it aloud—to feeling his tongue shape the sound; feeling his lips form the syllables; hearing the sound of her name from _his_ voice. He bit his lip as he watched her from behind a curtain of flaxen hair. She was such a pretty—no, _gorgeous_—girl…

Of course, this was something that damn _Kitami _would never acknowledge.

Yukina sat on the floor, legs sprawled out before her, unconsciously humming softly as she excitedly sewed together the next section of her tale. He noticed that she would stop briefly every now and then and close her eyes, as she most likely surfed through her memories to relive the moments she spent with _Kitami,_ that disgusting playboy. Her face tilted up ever-so-slightly as she recounted her "love" sessions and a small smile teased her lips. He was her model of what love was—a position Akira couldn't fill apparently, no matter how hard he tried.

What the hell was so great about that guy anyway?

Akira's grip on his legs tightened and his teeth clenched. Why was he allowed to do such things to her—with no repercussions or fear of what would happen after? Why did Yukina use _him_ and not Akira? Was it because—did she—?

Something throbbed deep within him, the pain resounding on his very essence, tearing him apart from the inside. A paralyzing fear that she would be spirited from him, body and soul, and by none other than—than that damn Kitami stole over his mind and he could no longer deny himself what he wanted so bad—

"Yukina!"

Surprised, she paused to look up at him, only to find herself enshrouded in him completely as his arms encircled her, pulling her body against his almost—protectively?—as though the simple action could ward off all harm and forever protect her.

He was trembling, she noticed, and her brows furrowed in confusion. Her phone was still in her hand, her finished update simply awaiting the press of the "submit" button.

"Akira, you're crushing me," she told him, her tone somewhere between gentle and hysterical—the way he was crushing her made her feel almost claustrophobic. His arms were like a cage keeping her still.

He slowly released her, and she studied his face intently with her honey-brown eyes—what breath-taking eyes she had…

"Are you okay?" she asked almost hesitantly, confused with his sudden outburst.

He nodded just as hesitantly, seeming just as perplexed with himself as she was. "Just fine," he softly soothed her.

_I will never allow him to have you._ The surety with which he thought that was the exact opposite of the tone he just used to assure his cousin. He would keep that promise, too. There was no way someone as _low_, as _filthy_, as _disgusting_ as Kitami could ever have someone like Yukina.

"I wonder how the readers will like this update… Shigure really helped me think of a new twist this time!"

He was positively glowing at the mention of his name, and as she submitted the update, and Akira noticed how she used his first name with not even a second hesitation. Her eyes gleamed with light that he rarely saw in her.

As she closed her phone, Akira wondered if he would be able to ever keep his promise… or if Yukina could shut him out of her life as easily as she just shut her phone.

_-x-x-x-_

**So it's pretty bad how fast I grew obsessed—yes, **_**obsessed**_**, body and soul—with this manga. I read as many chapters as MangaFox would allow me yesterday in about two hours. And the next day my mind just can't get off the story. And my dreams are plagued by it. Really, quite pathetic. XD But oh, well. I (im)patiently await the next chapter…**

**Question: should I leave this at a one-shot or should I continue it a bit? I don't know… I feel like it is and isn't complete. So I leave it to you. Please tell me what you think?**

**(And on the off-chance that any SDK readers are here poking around—sorry sorry! I'll work on FfY now!) **


	2. II: Yukina

**Series not mine. Do wish the creator would write up chapters more often, though…**

Paradigm

_-x-x-x-_

Yukina couldn't help but notice that both Akira and Shigure were acting… strange. This strange was unwarranted and Yukina didn't like it. The simplest way she could think to summarize and explain it was that they were… clingy. More so on Akira's side than Shigure's.

Yes, that sounds silly, and an explanation is due, no doubt. Whenever she wasn't with one of them, she was with the other. She'd separate from Shigure to go to class and Akira would pop up and attach himself to her hip. Shigure would reappear, and all of a sudden, Akira would disappear. School would end, Shigure would go home, and Akira would appear out of no where and not leave her alone for the rest of the night.

While she was used to spending a lot of time with him, he hung on her even more than usual. He'd eat at the same pace she did so they could leave the table together, he'd follow her to her room and lay around while she worked and wrote. The only time she could catch a break was when she or Akira took a shower… and as creepy as it was, she half expected Akira to invite himself into the bathroom with her.

There was also the hugging… Akira had randomly hugged her several times within the past few days, despite his knowing that Yukina wasn't a huge fan of hugs, especially arbitrary ones.

Overall, she was starting to feel a little smothered. When she wasn't with one of the boys, she was with the other. She lost of Yukina-time at home, and Akira rarely left her room.

_I need to figure something out. I need to find a way to get Akira out and away from me._

Yet she couldn't come up with any good ideas. Frowning, she picked up her cell phone, her fingers running over the numbers.

"What are you doing?"

Her dark eyes met Akira's light. He had returned from the toilet. "Just thinking," she answered, fairly truthfully.

"About what?" Akira lied on her bed, flat on his belly with his feet behind his head and his chin resting on the edge of the mattress, staring at her where she sat on the floor.

"Oh, um…" Now she had to think of a lie. She wasn't very good at that. "The story."

Akira's brows furrowed. "What about it?"

Ah, crap. More lies. "Well, some readers apparently think…"

She paused.

"Think…?" Akira urged.

Could she ask for his advice on her problem indirectly?

"Well, it's just that some readers think that the vampire king is being too forward with Lilia… they think maybe he's smothering her and that the poor knight doesn't stand a chance…"

Only way to see was to try.

"Agreed," Akira piped instantly.

"Eh? You think so, too?" Yukina blinked, taken aback.

"Yeah." Akira nodded slowly. "I think that maybe the table's are too much in the king's favor. Princesses always go for kings. You need to even the table a bit."

Yukina paused. "Like… how? How do I do that?"

"Distract the king," Akira answered without hesitation. He spoke fervently, his voice determined. "Allow the knight more time with Lilia. Let him show her how he's better. Let her see the softer side of the knight."

Yukina frowned thoughtfully. "Distract the king? How?"

What could she distract Akira with?

"Another possible love interest."

Yukina's heart stuttered in her chest. Give Akira another love interest?

She kept silent for several long moments, deep in thought. Her brows furrowed and her troubled gaze became unfocused. How could she distract Akira with another love interest?

"Yukina…?"

Was there anyone who could act as another love interest?

Yukina looked over at Akira. "Yeah?"

"Wanna watch a movie or something? You need to be distracted for a little. You worry about your novel too much." He smiled brightly at her. "You need to relax—no one can outdo Yupina!"

"Yeah… You're right, Akira. What am I doing, worrying? Things will work out."

Akira picked out a movie and set it up so they could watch it. All the while, Yukina's sharp eyes watched him, the wheels of her mind working.

Another love interest.

That would be an interesting idea.

_-x-x-x-_

**The first three chapters of this are going to be on the short side. I think I'm going to try and play with everyone's mind in this, and give a little bit of everyone's point of view. I have some ideas as to where to go with this, but I should warn you: this is a love-triangle. I'm not going to write only YukinaxShigure and YukinaxAkira. There's going to be a mix. Both boys are going to get their moments of glory and both boys are going to get kicked around in the gutter. Yukina's going to bounce back and forth between them, kinda like in the manga. Until the end, that is; that's when the pairing will come out. But until then, expect some possible angst and occasional heartbreak.**

**But I digress. Happy 2011. :) Have a good year!**

**Next up: Shigure.**

EDIT (because there was apparently some miscommunication): Yes, I know that Akira is the knight. Yukina reversed the situation in her question so that Akira wouldn't know that she was talking about him. That leads to unnecessarily hurt feelings.


End file.
